President’s Message
Fellow Officers:
We have recently learned that once again John Vermillion and Clif Furedy
have won awards for excellence for our chapter. The chapter has been
awarded 2nd runner-up awards for print Newsletter and Website, and Best
E-Newsletter by national MOAA. I know that you all join me in congratulating
John and Clif and in expressing our deep and abiding appreciation for their
dedication and hard work on our behalf.
Dave Wade is scheduling our leadership award presentations for the ROTC,
NROTC and NJROTC units which we support. In fact we have already
begun with the Norfolk State University ROTC at which ceremony Jim Smith
represented us. Please let Dave know if you can assist in making
a presentation at one of the high school NRJOTC awards ceremonies.
I assure you that it will be a meaningful experience to spend a couple
of hours with these fine young men and women who are spending their time
doing something worthwhile. We will also continue our “Gold Bar Program”
as we present the first set of rank insignia to the newly commissioned
officers at ODU and Norfolk State. They are also given a free year
of membership to national MOAA at that time.
Jim Smith organized and supervised another Honor Flight send-off for
our World War II veterans on April 17th. We appreciate the time consuming
coordination effort for this most worthwhile program and thank Jim for
his time and attention to detail. In order to keep abreast of legislation
that effects us in the fast paced legislative environment in which we find
ourselves I recommend that each of you with email capability log on to
www.moaa.org and sign up to receive the Legislative Update. It is
a weekly electronic newsletter from the Legislative Liaison branch at MOAA.
It is most informative and provides an opportunity, through a MOAA Legislative
Alert Notification, to send a prepared email to our Senators and Congressman
on specific legislation which MOAA has identified to be of serious concern
to us. As Admiral Ryan recently pointed out – numbers count.
The latest one concerned the cut in physician reimbursement for Medicare/TRICARE
enrollees which Congress passed but the Senate did not before they adjourned
for “Spring Break.” The 21% reduction went into effect April 1 but
if the Senate acts immediately upon their return it will not be too late
to reverse that reduction.
I wish each of you and your families the very best and look forward
to seeing you at our upcoming luncheons.
Respectfully,
Norm
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HRCMOAA Directory
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| MOAA Legislative Update
(Weekly Issue) |
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| From MOAA President: National Health
Reform and You |
| Dear members and friends of the military
community,
In recent days, we’ve seen a barrage of
information (and misinformation, in many cases) about how national health
reform legislation might affect currently serving and retired service members
and their families.
Now that President Obama has signed the
initial legislation into law, I want to lay out for you what we know.
The biggest question on our members’ minds
has been: “How will passage of national health reform legislation affect
me?” For members under age 65, based on what we know so far, the answer
appears to be, “Not much, if at all.”
There are some changes to Medicare, but
it remains to be seen what the real impact of those may be over time. The
most significant of them is likely to be some reduction of availability
of Medicare Advantage HMOs.
In the meantime, MOAA has prepared answers
to the most-frequently asked questions that we hope you’ll find useful.
Unfortunately, there already are messages
flying around the internet to the effect that “I heard this will end TRICARE”
or “This will force military people to buy other coverage.” That’s simply
not true. If you get such messages, please help educate the senders with
MOAA’s answers.
As MOAA has said from the beginning, everyone
we’ve talked to in the Administration or the House or the Senate, of either
political party, supports protecting military and VA beneficiaries from
adverse effects associated with national health reform.
Just to be sure, MOAA and loyal members
like you generated more than 100,000 messages to Congress urging protection
of the unique military and VA health benefits and protection against any
taxation of those benefits. And your voices were heard.
In as clear an indication of that as anyone
could ask for, the House unanimously passed separate legislation explicitly
citing TRICARE as “qualifying health coverage” for purposes of the new
law. The Senate is working now to pass the same legislation. VA care and
TRICARE For Life already were explicitly designated in law. That means
eligible beneficiaries of those programs won’t be subject to financial
penalties that can be imposed on people who don’t have qualifying insurance.
That said, let’s be clear on another key
issue.
Can anyone guarantee that there will never
be any unfavorable changes to military and VA programs? No.
Do we know for sure how all the details
will play out? No.
There’s always a potential for unintended
consequences, and there’s always the potential for new initiatives to arise
(see below).
But if you were worried that national health
reform legislation is somehow aimed at whacking military beneficiaries’
health coverage, that’s just not so.
Frankly, we think the much more significant
issue for Medicare – and for the military community and the rest of America
-- is what proposed changes will be recommended by the new National Commission
on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform that’s supposed to report by Dec. 1
on options to reduce the national debt.
You have my personal pledge that MOAA will
continue to be vigilant as implementation of national health reform proceeds
– and as the new debt commission proposals become known – and your association
will continue to do everything in our power to protect your interests and
your service-earned health benefits.
All the best,
VADM Norb Ryan Jr., USN (Ret)
President |
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| Agent Orange Exposure For Some Crews |
| Some “blue water” Navy veterans were exposed to Agent Orange and other
herbicides while their ships operated on inland rivers of Vietnam.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has released a list of vessels with
confirmed participation in “brown water” operations. All Vietnam
Navy Veterans are ask to review the list of Navy Vessels and operation
dates released by the VA and posted on the News page of www.fra.org.
This new information from the VA will make it easier for veterans to prove
exposure and will hopefully facilitate more timely determination of benefits.
If you or someone you know served aboard any of these vessels a VA claim
for exposure to an herbicide agent should be filed ASAP. To start
a claim, contact your nearest VA Regional Office or contact Chris Slawinski
at vafra@fra.org or 1-800-372-1924,
Ext. 115. |
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Military ID Card Notification Program
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| This program is designed to help Chapter members and their dependent’s
to renew their ID cards in a timely fashion. Once you and your dependents
are enrolled, you will be notified of your impending ID card expiration
date in sufficient time for renewal prior to the expiration date.
Note: Over age 75 members, who are eligible uniform family
members and survivors of deceased personnel are now eligible for Permanent
Identification Cards. Apply within 90 days of expiration of current
ID card. |
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| To enroll in this voluntary program, fill in the form at the link below
for each dependent and Send by Email or Print and Mail to: Military ID
Card Notification Program, HRCMOAA, P.O. Box 4612, Virginia Beach, VA 23454-0612. |
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| 21% Cut is fixed, until June |
Congress can act fast when it absolutely has to, and it absolutely
had to on April 15 the last day Medicare could avoid imposing a 21% cut
in payments to doctors that many doctors say would cause them to stop seeing
Medicare and military patients. Within the space of five hours, the
Senate voted to defer the 21% cut until June 1. Because that was
a month longer delay than the House proposed, House leaders greased another
vote to approve the longer delay, and the bill was rushed to the White
House so President Obama could sign it into law that night. The cuts
technically went into effect on April 1, but Medicare exercised its authority
to hold claims for up to 10 business days, in anticipation that Congress
would approve the delay. Still, the fact is that this is one more
can-kicking exercise. Now, legislators will try to figure out a way
to push back the cuts until the end of the year, and next year they'll
have to go through a new drill to avoid a 25% cut in January 2011. The
constant battles on this issue stem from the inability of Congress to agree
on how to pay for the $240 billion permanent fix. More and more legislators
are insisting it should
be paid for by cutting other spending. But finding a package of $240
billion in spending cuts that a majority of legislators would vote for
is an equally daunting challenge. Needless to say, this isn't a trivial
issue. Hill leaders simply must find a way to get past this problem so
seniors and military beneficiaries aren't being held hostage to monthly
threats of having their health care access cut off. |
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WORLD WAR II VETERANS HONOR FLIGHT
17 APRIL 2010
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Community Affairs.
Once again on 17 April 2010, the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Military
Officers Association of America helped coordinate the departure ceremonies
for World War II veterans in South Hampton Roads to visit Washington as
part of the Honor Flight program.
Military officers and uniformed cadets from Old Dominion (ODU) and Norfolk
State Universities (NSU) were on hand at 4:30 AM on a balmy spring day,
to form an honor guard for the World War II veterans as they boarded the
buses. Color Guards were provided by ODU ROTC Monarch Battalion. Some 30
veterans and over 15 attendants, including medical personnel boarded in
Virginia Beach. They joined additional veterans in Williamsburg and Richmond
to make the trip to Washington and spend the day visiting and touring the
World War II Memorial, and the Lincoln, Korea and Vietnam Memorials. |
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(Picture by David Wade)
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ROTC & NJROTC Awards Presentations
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| UNIT |
EVENT |
DATE |
COMMENT |
| Colleges: |
| NSU |
Army ROTC Leadership Award |
7 April |
Completed |
| Hampton Roads NROTC (NSU, Hampton U, ODU) |
Leadership Award and Gold Bars |
24 April |
1030 NROTC, 3 units combined into one ceremony. Jim
Jones, Walt Wesolowski
0900 Pass in Review, NSU Football Field |
| ODU Army ROTC |
Leadership Award
Gold Bars |
22 April
7 May |
1400 Jim Smith
Jim Edge |
| NSU Army ROTC |
Gold Bars |
7 May |
Jim Smith |
| High Schools: |
Norfolk High Schools
(5 combined) |
Leadership Award |
TBD |
Brooker T. Washington, Granby, Lake Taylor, Maury,
Norview. Earl Byers |
| Virginia Beach High Schools |
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| First Colonial |
Leadership Award |
19 May |
1830 Jack Colgan |
| Princess Anne |
Leadership Award |
19 May |
1830 Loren Heckelman |
| Green Run |
Leadership Award |
TBD |
Norm Crews |
| Landstown |
Leadership Award |
19 May |
TBD |
| Salem |
Leadership Award |
TBD |
Jim Jones |
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Forth Annual Joint Warfighting Conference and
Exposition, 11 May thru 13 May
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Click
Here for Conference & Expo Details
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At the subject Conference and Exposition, MOAA will be a major player
and exhibitor. We will once again man the booth along with the MOAA personnel
and will have only one HRCMOAA REP for each assigned watch period. The
Watch Bill follows:
| 11 May |
Tuesday |
0800 to 1215 |
Capt. Jack Colgan, USN (RET) |
| 11 May |
Tuesday |
1215 to 1630 |
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| 12 May |
Wednesday |
0800 to 1215 |
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| 12 May |
Wednesday |
1215 to 1630 |
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| 13 May |
Thursday |
0800 to 1215 |
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| 13 May |
Thursday |
1215 to 1630 |
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Please contact Jack Colgan at 496-9524 to sign up for one
of the time slots. |
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MOAA Scholarship Fund
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| Memorial contributions may be made to the MOAA Scholarship Fund, for
deceased members of our Chapter, at Dept 889, Alexandria, VA 22334-0889.
Contributions may also be made at www.moaa.org.
Or you may call 800-234-6622. |
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Virginia Wounded Warrior Program
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How can I help?
Virginia has provided a limited amount of funding for the Wounded Warrior
Program. The Commonwealth anticipates that its citizens will want to help.
The Virginia Veterans Services Foundation is available to receive contributions
to support the Program. The Foundation is an agency of the state
and is eligible to receive tax deductible contributions under Internal
Revenue Service Section 170 (c) and Code of Virginia Section 2.2-2719.
Donations are placed in the Veterans Services Fund and cannot revert to
the Commonwealth’s General Fund. In this case, they only can be used for
the Wounded Warrior Program. Donations to the Foundation are audited
annually by the Commonwealth’s Auditor of Public Accounts. This assures
that the maximum amount of citizens donations will go to our veterans and
not to administrative overhead. Information about contributing is
provided on the following page.
Contribution/Pledge of Support
Yes! You can count on my support to assist Virginia’s veterans, members
of the Virginia National Guard, Virginia residents of the Armed Forces
Reserves not on active federal service, and their family members, who are
dealing with the effects of traumatic brain disorders, combat stress, and
post-traumatic stress disorders resulting from their combat service and
sacrifice in the U.S. Armed Forces.
I am enclosing/pledging my most generous contribution in the amount
of:
__ $1,000 __ $500 __ $250 __ $100
__ $50 __ Other $________
Please make checks payable to:
Virginia Veterans Services Foundation
For: VWWP: 900 East Main Street, Ground Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Your contribution is tax exempt under Internal Revenue Service Section
170 (c) and Code of Virginia Section 2.2.2719. Donations are placed in
the Veterans Services Fund and cannot revert to the Commonwealth’s General
Fund. Please complete the following five lines for contributions
of checks or cash, or when making a pledge.
Name(s) ______________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________
Home Phone _______________________
Work Phone _______________________
Email_______________________________________
Employer __________________________
Occupation ________________________
For additional information about the Foundation or about contributing,
contact Col. Jack Hilgers (USMC, Ret) at the Department of Veterans
Services, 900 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, 804-382-3715 or 757-481-4164
or Steven Combs at the Department of Veterans Services, 804-786-0294. |
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COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
By COL David Wade
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| Heads-Up to Coming Activities |
| Massing of the Colors. The Massing of the Colors, scheduled
for 2 May, at the US Military Aviation Museum on Princess Anne Road, Virginia
Beach has been cancelled. |
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| Development of 2010 JLC Objectives |
| Your Virginia Council of Chapters (VCOC) was very successful in accomplishing
five of six JLC objectives with the Virginia Assembly during the
last year. It is now time to develop both state-wide and national
objectives within the over-arching goals of MOAA. To that end, your chapter
is working to collect issues and concerns of the membership so they can
be aggregated into meaningful goals that the VCOC and MOAA can pursue.
To that end HRCMOAA members are encouraged to submit up to three of their
concerns or issues, at state or national level, to the chapter board and
VCOC representatives. This can be done by (1) sending them to HRCMOAA
P.O. Box 4612 Virginia Beach, VA, 23454-0612; or (2) email your VCOC representatives
at jim.jones@longandfoster.com
or jackhilgers@earthlink.net
or contact your HRCMOAA board members at luncheon meetings or through their
contact information on the HRCMOAA website. All input will be considered
by your board for submission to VCOC. |
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HRCMOAA 26 February Luncheon
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| Above, President Norm Crews presents the Jefferson Cup to guest
speaker Rear Admiral David Anderson, Vice Commander U.S. Fleet Forces
Command. He discussed Haiti Operations, Search for an Out Lying Field
(OLF) and F-35 Basing.
The Admiral covered the introduction of the F-18 with 8 squadrons at
Oceana and 2 at Cherry Point. The first effort to determine another OLF
location in Washington County NC, was met by a law suit in Federal Court
for environmental reasons. The Court found for the plaintiffs.
Since, five alternative sites have been identified in Virginia and North
Carolina. These sites were selected to minimize impact on landowners
and residents. Public outreach is very important. 72
members attended. |
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Norfolk Air Terminal Banner
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| Below is a new Banner to be installed at the Naval Station Norfolk
Air Terminal to provide a send off to our Military Personnel as they depart
the USA for some form of overseas duty. This Banner was provided
by the Chapter. |
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HRCMOAA 26 March Luncheon
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| The guest speakers were John Burnett (above) and Joe Maggiore (below),
Veterans Benefit consultants in Hampton Roads, with an office in Chesapeake.
They specialize in helping veterans, members of a veteran’s family or the
surviving spouse understand how to obtain long term care benefits from
the Department of Veterans Affairs. Most veterans are not aware of
the benefits available through the veterans health care. |
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| New Member Welcomed From the left; Mike Leach,
Walt
Wesolowski, Marty Stephenson, and Jean Whittaker,
welcome new Auxiliary member, Edith Lytle, Navy Aux, shown on the
right. |
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| NROTC Guests of the HRCMOAA for lunch on 26 March |
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Guests were:
1. Captain Michael J. Barea, USN, Commander, Hampton Roads Naval
Reserve Officers Training Corps Battalion, shown above.
2. Officer Candidate Corrine Sims - - a Senior student at ODU,
studying Civil Engineering. Hampton Roads Naval Reserve Officers Training
Corps Battalion, shown below.
3. Officer Candidate Steven Smith - - a Senior student at ODU,
studying History. Hampton Roads Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps
Battalion, shown at bottom. |
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Chapter Schedule
For the most current and up-to-date schedule of chapter events, click
on Calendar of Events
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| Board Meetings; held the first Saturday of each month. |
| 21 May 2010 Luncheon, Representative Chris Stolle, Atlantic Shores
Community.
1 May 2010, Board Meeting at Bubba’s Restaurant.
June 2010, Evening meeting, TBD.
VCOC Schedule
8 July 2010, near Quantico, hosted by the Heritage Chapter. |
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IN MEMORIUM
CAPT William F. Agnew, USN (Ret)
Mrs. Lillian M. LeBlanc
wife of CAPT Georges E. LeBlanc, USN (Ret)
CAPT John M. Mathews, USN, (Ret)
CDR William H. Austin, Jr., USN (Ret)
Mrs. Audrey Kufahl, Auxiliary
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